Detachable running gear for transporting small boats



20, 1959 c. w. BORCHERS, JR 2,909,378

DETACHABLE RUNNING GEAR FOR TRANSPORTING SMALL BOATS Filed March 11,1958 g INVENTOR.

6165454215 m'flazryz sgw? ,States. Pa

DETACHABLE RUNNING GEAR FOR TRANS- PORTING SMALL BOA'IS This inventionrelates to boating equipment and, more particularly, to a device fortransporting small boats.

Ordinarily, the mounting and dismounting of small boats upon trailers isa rather time consuming and strenuous task. Furthermore, such trailerswhich are ordinarily used to transport boats from one place to anotherare quite expensive to purchase and also require a substantial amount ofmaintenance in order to keep them in proper condition. It is an objectof the present invention to provide a detachable running gear for smallboats that can be readily applied to and removed from the boat fortransport thereof that is extremely simple in construction, efficient inoperation, and which will overcome the aforementioned problems.

Another object of the present invention is to provide detachable runninggear that is applied directly to the boat, thus obviating the necessityof having to provide a separate self-supporting mounting for the boat,whereby the boat is connected directly to the towing vehicle.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide adetachable running gear for transporting small boats of the typedescribed that is much easier to control during transport of the boatand which can be manufactured in large quantities at relatively lowcost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of thisinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,wherein:

' Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of running gear madein accordance with the present invention in operative association with aboat that is attached to the rear end of a towing vehicle;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view, with partsbroken away, of certain parts of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse cross sectional view taken along line33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of other parts of therunning gear shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse cross sectional view taken along line55 of Figure l; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevational 'view of the unitshown in Figure l.

1 Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to Figure 1thereof, a small boat 10 is shown in operative association withapparatus made in accordance with the present invention for transportingthe boat from one location to another. This apparatus includes a set ofrunning gear 13 that is detachably connected to the bottom of the boatadjacent to the stern thereof. As is more clearly shown in Figures 4 to6 of the drawing, this running gear includes a pair of wheel assemblies,each of which is substantially identical to the other.

Each of the wheel assemblies includes a track plate 15 having holes 16for receiving wood screws 17. therethrough for direct attachment to thebottom of theboat 10. A channel 18 is provided at each side of the trackplate 15 for providing a guideway that slidably receives Patented Oct.20,1959

7 2 a slide plate 20, A pair of spacedapart parallel bearings 21 dependfrom the bottom of'the slideplate 20 and rotatably support an-axle 22that extends diversely therebetween. A pneumatic type wheel 23isrotatably carried upon the axle 22 so as to support the weight of theboat directly upon the ground. -A cylindrical member 25 is welded to thefront edge of the slide plate 20, such member having a longitudinal bore26 that is adapted to be moved into alignment with similar bores 29 atthe front end of the track plate 15. When in the proper assembledposition, a latch pin 28 is extended through the aligned bores 26, 29,thus locking the slide plate 20 to the track plate 15. The front end ofthe track plate 15 is also provided with a key way 30 that slidablyreceives a lock pin 32 that extends transversely outwardly from the sideof the latch pin 28. A compression spring 33 acting between the head ofthe latch pin 28 and the adjacent side of the track plate 15 normallyresists movement of the lock pin 32 out of the locking position shown inFigure 5, whereby the parts may be safely connected together.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawing, a tow bar unit 35 isshown which is detachably connected to the bow 38 of the boat. This towbar unit includes an arcuate plate member 37 that has a contoursubstantially the same as the contour of the bow 38. Thus, thumbscrews40 extending through spaced apart holes 42 in the arcuate member 37 areoperated to threadedly engage with internally threaded fasteners 41 thatare permanently secured to the bow 38. An eye nut 44 is also threadedlyengaged with a permanently attached bolt 45 to provide means forhandling the unit as it is attached to the vehicle, or for other similarpurposes. A pair of angularly related arms 47 extend outwardly from thearcuate member 37 and converge at a horizontal connecting bar 48, towhich a coupling 50 is attached.

In actual use, the running gear 13 and tow bar unit 35 are applied tothe boat in the manner shown in the drawing. When the vehicle has towedthe boat to the launching site, the running gear wheel assemblies arereadily removed from the permanently attached track plate 15 by simplywithdrawing the locking and latch pins therefrom. At the same time, theeye nut 44 and thumb screws 40 are released so as to remove the tow barunit from the bow of the boat, following which the boat may be readilymanipulated and moved into the water. When moving the boat from thewater to a land location, the running gear and tow bar unit are appliedin the reverse manner.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to theconstruction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such isnot to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, whichis best defined by the claim appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

Detachable running gear for transporting small boats comprising, incombination, a pair of weight supporting wheel assemblies, meansdetachably securing said wheel assemblies to the bottom of a small boatadjacent to the stern thereof, a tow bar, means detachably securing saidtow bar to the bow of the boat, said tow bar having means for releasableconnection to a self-propelled land vehicle, each one of said wheelassemblies comprising a slide plate, a pair of depending bearing plates,a transverse axle carried by said bearing plates, a wheel rotatablysupported upon said axle intermediate said plates, a track platedetachably securing said slide plate to the boat, said track platehaving permanent fastening means securing it to the boat, a pair ofinwardly facing channels on each side of said track plate slidablyreceiving said slide plate, and a releasable latch locking said slideplate References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSBjork Oct. 31, 1944 Bjork Feb. 26, 1946 West June 3, 1947 Husek Sept.19, 1950 Rideout et a1. Apr. 30, 1957

